Research Fellowship Awards

Research Fellowship Awards

Backs students and early career scholars with mentoring support for Research Fellowship Awards in biotechnology and medical technology.

The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's Research Fellowship Awards (RFA) support post-doctoral investigators at US institutions in developing the basic research skills needed for independent IBD investigation. The award is intended for researchers who have not yet established themselves in the IBD field and requires a designated senior investigator mentor. MD candidates must be at least two years post-degree with at least one year of IBD research experience; PhD candidates must have at least one year of post-doctoral IBD research. MD recipients more than seven years post-degree and PhD recipients more than five years post-degree must provide justification for continued training support. Applicants must commit at least 80% of professional time to the funded project, and US-based institutional affiliation is required — citizenship is not restricted, but legal work authorization is necessary.

For the 2026 cycle, the pre-application portal opened April 4, 2026; the pre-application deadline is June 2, 2026; invited full proposals are due July 23, 2026; applications are reviewed September through October 2026; and decisions are announced in December 2026. Awards provide a maximum of $70,000 per year over one to three years, structured as salary support up to $50,000 per year, fringe benefits at 25% of salary up to $12,500 per year, and non-salary non-fringe costs (travel and memberships) up to $7,500 per year. Continued funding beyond the first year is contingent on annual progress reports.

Eligible applicants may also apply for the joint Crohn's & Colitis Foundation/NASPGHAN IBD Young Investigator Award, a three-year award available to pediatric IBD-focused applicants who indicate a pediatric focus on their Research Fellowship Award or CDA submission. Submissions are made through proposalCENTRAL (GMID=96). Full page limits, scoring criteria, and format specifications are published in the RFP PDF (revised March 2026) and must be reviewed before writing the application. Inquiries should be directed to training_awards@crohnscolitisfoundation.org.